Cotton cleaner



Dec. I4,

E. P. TAFT ET AL COTTON CLEANER Filed Aug. 12'. 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEWTORS .P. Tcifjf d WITNESSES V v GBavfon A TTORNEYS Dec. 4, 1923;

E. P. TAFT ET AL COTTON CLEANER Filed Aug. 12 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 luk Km Wm M 1 2 n q A 5 5W WIT/E8858 fix 46 Dec. 4, 1923. 1,476,010

E. P. TAFT ET AL COTTON CLEANER Filed Aug. 12, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet .5

Afro/ rs Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

iTEof Sm-res {PA I EDWARD rennnronn TAFT AND GEORGE-BARTON, or eiidnsraononere.

oo'rron CLEANER.

' Application filed August12, 1921 serial No. 491,849.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that we, EDWARD PADELFORD TAFT and GEORGE BARTON, citizens of the- United States, and residentsof Augusta, in the county of Richmond and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton Cleaners, of

f mote box;

which the following is a specification.

This lnventlon relates to cotton'cleaners and more particularly to the means for separating the motes, seed and trash from the cotton;

An iinpo'rtant object of this invention is to provide a stripping member whlch breaks the mass ofcotton into small lumps, thereby opening the same and not only allowing pers in a highly flufi'y state and therebyproduces an even feed to the beaters and a more even lap' from the finishers.

9 A further feature otthefinvention is the fact that the foreign matter such as the. motes and seeds, are removed at a time when the cotton is loose and freeto' let-themdrop outv of the cotton, wh'ereby the separating process is performedwithout damage to the cotton. j v

Other objects and'advant'ages' of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

" i In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, andin which like numerals are employed to designate "like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a mote box and associated elements,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustratingythe rotary strippers, the means-for supplying cotton thereto, andthe means for adjusting the: strippers with relation to-the supply means for the same,

Figure 3 is an elevation of a slightly modified form of. stripper,

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the strip per illustrated in Figure 6. I I s Figure 5 .is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the seed and trash remover,

Figure 6 is a perspective illustrating a pluralityof grid bars arranged within the In the-drawings, wherein for the purpose 7 of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1Q'generally designates an endless conveyor hav-" lng rollers 11 and 12 supported by brackets 13 or a framework, said brackets being ar rangedon opposite sides of the conveyor and supported at. the ends of standards 14.

A drive shaft 15 is connected to the stand- 7 ards 14 and inay beconnected to theroller 12 in any suitable manner. Thedrive shaft [15 also has connectionwith an endless belt 17 having its upper end trained about av roller orpulley 18 0f a stripper roll indicatedaby thenumeral20. The stripper roll is arranged at the upper end of the conveyor 2 l0 and-operates on the cotton'upon'being discharged from the' upper end of the conveyor'lO,

As illustrated ,particularlv in Figure 2, the stripper roll 20 which may be of wood,

is provided with a plurality of longitudi- Y of stout leather or other material, the said" )nally extending radially arranged strips 21 strips being adapted'to throw the cotton a plurality of's'paced parallel transversely extending grid bars 22;, 'W'ith reference to- Figure 6, itwill be observed thatthegr'idbars 22 a're eXtended at their ends into'slots formed in a-pair of longitudinally curved.-

with considerable force into contact with"v 7 brackets or attaching members 23 secured to the sidesiof a mote box generally d'esignated by the numeral25; the cotton is thrown violentlyinto engagement with the enlarged heads 26] of the grid bars 22, the

lit)

loose foreign particles and'aportionfof the seeds are removed from the cotton and dropped into thejlower portion of the mote box, so the same may beremoved by open- 'ing a door 27. It will be observed thatithej series of'grid bars 22fextt-mdinwardly and;

thereby operate on-the cotton until the same is discharged-onto'a conveyor 30." 9 l J 'It might be'stated that the stripperroll 20 may be readily andconve'niently adjusted withrelation "to the upper end of the conby the opposite sides of laterally projecting enlargements '32 formed at the; ends of PPer roll Supp rting arm's 83. As illustrated'jclearly; in Figures 1 and2,the laterally projecting enlargements 32 are hollow. and slidably receive bearings 35 which are engaged bythe setsorews 31' and securely 'Veyor 10 by means of set screws 31 carried held in a certain position. fThebearings forming a supporting means for the pulley '18. When it is desired to adjust thestripper roll 20 with relation to the upperendot the apron or 'conveyorl0, it is merely necessary to rotate the set screws 31 in the proper direction and thereby move the bearings 35 r in the slots 37 formed in the enlargements The'intermediate portions ofthe arms-33 are formed with openings orbosses 89 which receiveportions of the bearings 40 which form'asupporting'means for the shafts 41 of the roller 11. The other ends of the arms 83 .are formed with longitudinal slots 44 which receive attaching bolts 45. Straps 46 I are also held in position bythe'bolts 45and 'form a supporting means for thelongitudi- 20 7 particles or cotton from flying out of'the mote box. l U

V The upper roller 11 of the conveyor 10' nally 'curvedshield' 47 which prevents the may be adjusted in the usual manner by set screws] 49 which are threaded into bearings 50 for supporting the rollerll. V i

i In carrying :out'theinventiOm-the confiedas illustrated in Figure 8, wherein the "same is'subjected to a rather-strong current V 63 partly" by the movement of the cotton on y the c onveyor an d partly by the suction, the

' Withreference to the foregoing description, itwill be noted that the cotton is con same 'is designated by the numeral 54 and is provided with spaced ribs "55 having tangentially arrangedspikes 56 which fun'c-' tion in a manner similarto the stout leather strips. The spikes 56may be secured in the ribs 55 by any suitable manner.

The cottonand the matter contained there in, falls down over the grid bars onto a conveyor 30 arranged withina trough having 7 upstanding side walls60. As the material" 1S. conveyed along the member 30, it approaches a seed anddirt remover 62 arranged immediately above the conveyor and having an inclined surface 68 which elevates the cotton and the matter contained therein. When the cotton and thedirt or seedreaches the upper end of the inclined surface 63 the of air from a suction pipe 164- and the separated from the cotton is discharged beneath the conveyor. It will be seen that as the cotton is conveyed up the inclined surface heavierparticles such as the seed, will drop down onto thedirt discharging apron 64 and be separated from the cotton;

veyed by the apron 10 into contact with the stripper 1 01120, whereupon; the leather strips i of the stripper roll throw the cotton with considerable force against the grid 'bars'of the motebozt; The cotton falls over the grid" bars ontothe conveyor 30 and is carried toward the seed. and trash remover. At this point, the cottonis pushed up by the apron ontothe inclined surface 63, until drawn leased'by the previous processes, fall onto by gravity. In operation. as the cotton is beaten oil the apron'by the beater 20-it is in such a form that a close setting of the.

by suction into the intake pipe 164. The 7 seeds being heavier than the cotton, are retthe'apron 64 and are discharged to theiioorv so I andthe grid section; The cotton" strikes the first few grids with such aforcelthat' the" humps of the same have atendency to' I break up as they fiy down overthe gridslg This causes the motes, leaves and other'fon} I eign matte-r to be shaken out and through" the grids into the .mote bjox- If the grids were set closerto the beater than illustrated the material would strike the grids with-such V a force that gOOCl- COttOIL would be forced struction of the stripper roll may be modiv through the grids with the foreign matter. w

The cotton which drops onto the conveyor;

30 moves up on the inclined surfaceot the member 62 andis subjected to thesuction in the'pipe 164. Figure 5 illustrates that f the upper end of the inclined member of .the

seed and dirt removeris' connected-to-the apron 54 by means of a vertical connecting:

portion or step and consequently the Seeds and dirt which are-dropped ontothe apron- 1 V 64 are not subjected, to the action of the i suction.

The foreignmatter-that is taken' from. thecotton and remains on the apron is more or less covered bythe cotton on the apron and is not subjectedto the air suction.

Theforeign'matter drops onto the apron and is thrown onto the yfloo'r and: the quantity day is considerable'.-, 1

By the use of the improved system, the stripper roll breaks the mass of:

cotton up intosmall lumps, thereby openmg the same bettertoj allow the; motes,

seeds and trash to be removedfby the ency to make a more even feed to the heaters and. therefore a: more finishers.

' The invention removes the foreign matter 7 such as the motes and seeds',a't a time'when 1 the cotton is loose and will more readily give up. the foreign matter contained therein. The foreign matter isnot subjected to drafts sufiiciently strong to lift the same and even lap vfrom of trash, etc. thataccumulateslduring the 1710* i therefore, the suction of the air contained in the pipe 64 will effectively remove the cotton from the seed We claim 1. A cotton cleaner comprising a cotton conveyor, a seed and dirt remover mounted on the conveyor and having an inclined elevator portion in the path of travel of the cotton and an apron arranged beneath the upper discharge end of said inclined elevator portion to receive the dirt and seeds dropped therefrom, and suction means to pick up the cotton as it leaves the upper end of said inclined portion.

2. A cotton cleaner comprising a cotton conveyor, a seed and dirt remover mounted on the conveyor and having an inclined elevator portion in the path of travel of the cotton and an apron arranged beneath the upper discharge end of said inclined elevator portion to receive the dirt and seeds dropped therefrom, and suction means to pick up the cotton as it leaves the upper end of said inclined portion, there being a vertical connecting portion between the inclined portion and the apron.

3. A cotton cleaner comprising a cotton conveyor, a seed and dirt remover mounted on the conveyor and having an inclined eleconveyor.

vator portion in the path of travel of the cotton and an apron arranged beneaththe upper discharge end of said inclined elevator portion to receive the dirt and seeds dropped therefrom, and suction means to pick up. the cotton as it leaves the upper end of saidinclined portion, said apron being curved downwardly over one end of the 4:. In a cotton cleaning machine,.the combination with a conveyor, of an inclined.

for elevating the cotton, and suction means to remove the cotton fromthe elevated end of said inclined member, while the seed and other matter in the cotton drops from the elevated end of said inclined member.

5. A cotton cleaning .machine comprising a conveyor, a stationary board arranged GEORGE i i BARTON.

mark

40 member arranged at one end of'the conveyor 

